FHS girls, MCW boys win the I-90

October 4, 2013

FAIRMONT - The Class A, No. 9-ranked Fairmont Cardinals girls cross country team ended a run of two years and claimed the I-90 Invite title, while the Class A, No. 5-ranked Martin County West Mavericks boys team defended its invite championship on Thursday at Cedar Creek Park in Fairmont.

After dominating the meet for a majority of the 2000s, the Cardinal girls had gone two years without taking home the crown, but that ended Thursday.

Less than a minute separated the Cardinals' top runner - Jenna Pavich - and their seventh runner - Katiana Fischer - in the race.

Article Photos

MAKING STRIDES — Martin County West runners Jonah Mayo (far left), Matthew Viesselman (third from left) and Dylan Brockman (third from right), along with Blue Earth Area’s Mike Ankeny and Fairmont’s Zac Ehlert, match each other stride-for-stride during the I-90 cross country invitational on Thursday at Cedar Creek Park in Fairmont. (Photo by Leanna Becker)

MAKING STRIDES — The Fairmont Cardinals’ Iliana Ramon runs toward the finish line during the I-90 Invitational on Thursday at Cedar Creek Park in Fairmont. (Photo by Leanna Becker)

RUNNING STRONG — Blue Earth Area’s Taylor Grandgenett maintains a lead on Fairmont’s Katiana Fischer during the I-90 cross country invitational on Thursday at Cedar Creek Park in Fairmont. (Photo by Leanna Becker)

RUNNING STRONG — Martin County West runner Morgan Larson heads toward the finish line during the I-90 Invitational on Thursday at Cedar Creek Park in Fairmont. Larson went on to place second. (Photo by Leanna Becker)

"We are a well-balanced team. We continue to be well balanced, and today the girls just kept rolling," said Fairmont head coach Bob Bonk.

Pavich's time of 15 minutes and 54.1 seconds topped the Cardinals with a seventh-place finish, while Katiana Fischer completed the team score with a 25th-place finish of 16:38.9.

Hannah Johnson, Iliana Ramon and Molly Hawkins all raced in with personal-best times for Fairmont.

Johnson finished 11th in 16:03.2, while Ramon and Hawkins finished 14th and 15th in 16:07.1 and 16:11.8, respectively.

Emily Haugen and Sarah Bartz raced in to complete the winning team score for Fairmont. Haugen finished in 16:20.7 for 17th place, while Bartz crossed the line in 16:25.2 for 20th place.

"We had the best team top-five finish all season," said Bonk. "Which is exciting with the conference meet on Tuesday."

Martin County West junior Matt Viesselman topped the Mavericks' first-place finish with a third-place individual time of 17:22.6.

Nichole Smith, Natalie Lawrence and Alyssa Meyer completed the team scoring with finishes of 18:49.4, 20:18.5 and 20:39.1 for 71st, 94th and 99th place, respectively.

Zac Ehlert, meanwhile finished in sixth place to top the Cardinal boys team finish.

Ehlert raced a time of 17:44.6, with teammate Sanguja Hassan finishing 21st in 18:56.7.

"I had thought before the meet that on the boys side the third- through ninth-place teams would be close," said Bonk. "So I was really excited to see that we were on the top side of those teams, and it was probably our best team finish all season."

Ben Huinker raced to a 35th-place time of 19:35.8, whlie Brian Wilde was 38th with a time of 19:37.0.

Cole Huinker completed the team score with a 57th-place time of 20:17.9 for the Cardinals.

"All of the boys were within seconds of personal bests, and Zac ran a season's-best today," said Bonk. "Weather-wise, it was a great day to run, cool and cloudy but little wind. Cedar Creek Park is a great place to run in this type of weather."

Blue Earth Area sophomore Taylor Grandgenett helped lead the girls team to an eighth-place finish, while Zach Vaske topped the Buc boys' fifth-place finish.

Grandgenett finished 22nd with a time of 16.29.9, while teammate Shayna Stevermer finished 35th in 17:07.9.

Mariah Halvorson raced in at 17:27.2 for 38th place and Jenna Stevermer finished 42nd in 17:35.8.

Sierra Halvorson completed the meet with a time of 17:51.5 for 46th place, while Signe Olson and Zoe Thompson completed the team scores with times of 18:00.5 and 18:19.3 for 51st and 56th place, respectively.

Vaske finished 11th in 18:05.8 to top the BEA boys, with Mike Ankeny racing to 15th place in 18:21.7.

Isaac Miranda finished 24th with a time of 19:01 in the race.

Jordan Stelter raced into 37th place with a time of 19:36.5, just ahead of Kyle Mercer, who finished 39th in 19:38.6.

Adam Buseman and Nick Shure completed the Blue Earth Area team scoring with times of 21:09.2 and 21:57.6 for 75th and 88th place, respectively.

The Madelia/Truman/ Martin Luther Jayhawks raced to 10th-place team finishes in both the girls and boys races.

The Jayhawk girls were topped by Samantha Maul, who ran for a 45th-place time of 17:47.1.

Hanna Geistfeld and Alissa Voyles came in 65th and 66th place with times of 18:39.3 and 18:40.4, respectively.

Emma Afzelius and Savannah Krenz finished 84th and 85th in 19:40.5 and 19:44.8, respectively, for the Jayhawks.

Bekah Rusert and Bryn Van Zee completed the MTML team scoring with times of 22:11.1 and 23:52.2 for 109th and 114th place, respectively.

For the Jayhawk boys, Noah Frelich led the way with a 72nd-place time of 21:00.4.

Ryan Lassas also raced in under the century mark with a 98th-place time of 23:12.1.

Jeremiah Colon, Joseph Fenske and Passawut Tokeaw completed the MTML score with times of 23:24.3, 27:02.7 and 33:18.6 for 101st, 117th and 120th-place, respectively.

Fairmont and Blue Earth Area race in the South Central Conference Meet on Tuesday at Riverside Town & Country in Blue Earth.

Martin County West and Madelia/Truman/Martin Luther will compete in the Jayhawk Invite next Thursday in Madelia.